After viewing and listening to Dana Goia's talk, write to us about your "takeaways":
- What did you take away from what he said? What struck you, in particular?
- Now, think about your own work this semester in light of Goia's talk. What places in your community or local neighborhood might possess stories worth unearthing? What sorts of subcultures and people intrigue you and pique your curiosity? What places do you want to get a better "sense" of? In other words, what are (list them, please) 3-5 potential fieldsites for your research this semester?
- What is your relationship to these places? What intrigues you about them and what bears researching or finding out? What questions drive your passion for or interest in these places and people?
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all this was a great presentation! I took away a few things from it that I hadn't considered before, one specifically being the idea that the English language was developed in a cold climate, and names for the things the settlers came across in California did not exist. In hindsight it's something that one could deduce with common sense but the idea completely evaded me! I know if I had been in that situation I would have just ended up calling all the new plants "tree-thingies" or something similar. It is exciting to think about the fact that our language initially solely developed in places where winter was the norm. As an inverse it'd be interesting to imagine a culture who had never seen snow try and put it into their own words for the first time!Another interesting point was the comments on Globilization destroying the unique aspects of the enviroments throughout the world, I didn't expect to hear that view in terms of sense of place, but it's something interesting to think about. In terms of my own work this semester I know that every place in my community or local neighborhood has a story to tell, I just have to weed out the 3 stories I'd be interested in hearing the most! A big part of me wants to go way outside my experiences and explore a religious community. I've only ever been in a church around 3 times in my life and was never initiated into any religion as a child, so even the local churches would be a community far removed from my own. I also think it'd be great to explore a temple or even a mosque if one is close by! The story behind why I'm interested in exploring a religious community is a long one not fit for such small a post sadly. The religious angle is my more lofty goal though, as surely there are a few ethical obstacles to researching that. I know that I personally want to research somewhere that is a large portion of the people's lives. I'm much more apt to do topics akin to the people living in the sewers of New York or the truck stop where the truckers spend the downtime in their lives that we've read about, as opposed to a place that's only a footnote in the lives of all but a few people. Researching another College's enviroment in contrast to RIC would also be a good idea. Another area I can think of would be Seekonk's Route 6. I know that the area would provide boundless opprotunities for investigation. I know from personal experience that despite being in Massachusetts, it's the only place to get many things for nearby Rhode Islanders. Focusing on that Route's importance for people who are attracted from all around would probably be pretty interesting as well.
ReplyDeleteI am willing to bet that Dana Gioia meant for this to be the lasting impression of his presentation, but even as I write this twenty minutes after watching the video I can not get his concluding lines out of my head. "What we will not grasp, what we will not protect in the world around us will be lost." This is a very striking line and certainly was a perfect ending to his presentation, but it makes me wonder. What in our lifetime will be lost with each passing generation? How will the world as we know it to be today change for our children and our children's children? Being a lover of the outdoors, my mind instantly wanders to endangered wildlife; animal species and plants and trees that are severely threatened by both climate change and the careless nature of humanity. What else will perish from this? The other part of this presentation that stuck with me is the fact that many of us are not present in our own lives. Too glued to the television or computer screen, we miss out on the beauty of the world around us. Not just natural beauty, but literature and language, art and lifestyles too. I had no idea that so many "Californian words" were derivative of Spanish simply because the English language had no need for a word meaning such things as mesa and taco. This idea of discovering one's world is very intriguing to me, and as I try to put myself into a position of using places in my life to act upon this idea, I need to sit back and think for a minute. Some places that my brainstorming has lead me to are the following:
ReplyDelete1. Kids' Castle: The playground at the school behind my house. Who built it and when? Who designed it? Why did they tear down the old playground and replace it with this truly castle-like new one?
2. Cragan Field: The beloved home of East Greenwich Little League is constantly changing. What is the history of this place? Who was the Mr. Cragan that this field is named after?
3. Camp Yawgoog: Known as one of the premier Boy Scout camps in the country, this place not only has a rich history, but definitely boasts its own culture by and large. Having spent countless camping trips under the stars at Yawgoog, I would love to learn more about its vast history as a Scout reservation.
4. Goddard Park: The state park down the road from my house that was a frequent hang out all throughout my childhood. Why was this land donated to the state? What used to be there?
5. Satellite Studios: My friend's studio. Short on history but very rich on culture, many local rock legends have brought their stories and ideas to this room.
I have to admit, considering it's only about 7:30 am, I zoned out a little in the beginning of the clip. But his poetic and descriptive words reeled me in. I felt as though I was listening to an essay because his public speaking is flawless. IT sounded as if he edited and revised his speech many times and memorized the "final draft". I really enjoyed how he took an example of the rolling hills in CA and explained it from a local's perspective, and a north easterner's perspective. As with the description of names, came the origin of names which also intrigued me. Most people say the name of the places, visit the places, even live in the places, and never know where the name comes from. That can relate back to his final points, which impacted me the most. Especially now in the 21st century, people are so busy and removed from their own societies, they are less observant. As he said, you need to be present in your own place. Just living in a house, in some neighborhood, in a town you heard was nice to live in, tells you absolutely nothing about the culture behind it. Nevertheless if you do have no idea where your living, or even why you choose there, he suggests to get to know where you are. By being able to savor and describe your sense of place, you will not only learn more about the area but also about yourself. He did not only bring up very good points, he was also a very good speaker. A couple spots I would consider to study would be:
ReplyDelete1.) Slatersville Congressional Church: We call it the "little white church" which is down the road, but I bet there is some important history dating back to when Slatersville was first created. I would want to know how long ago has it been there and what was it used for, compared to what it's used for now.
2.) Pacheco Park: This park is used for a lot of different activities and is used by a variety of different people. It'd be interesting to study the place and who built it, but also why so many different people gather to this universal spot.
3.) Beef Barn: This little restaurant where I live is very well-known around North Smithfield and neighboring towns. It is the only one (not a chain restaurant) and it is always packed. It'd be interesting to see, with a very limited menu and not much seating inside, why so many people eat there. It'd be cool to hear how some may be because it's tradition, or for the food, service, etc. It's definitely not just like the McDonald's down the road.
After watching his presentation it has become clearer what "sense of place" refers to. It is no just where you live, why you live there, and what you take or give to and make it better, it’s also how you make it your own. Its cultural, social, and personal implications. Also how important it’s to notice our surroundings to acquire what we want from a place, because when you lack this knowledge you are losing the most important factor understanding why that place it’s important to you and to everyone else who lives there. He is right when he says that we are too busy with new technology that we don’t even know what’s surrounding us, we need “to learn that what we will not grasp is lost.” What will our next generations lose because of the new technology that hypnotizes us? We are already losing the ability to talk face to face, it’s sad.
ReplyDelete1.The international institute. I became aware of the amazing subcultural society that there is within the walls of the international institute two Christmas ago when my class delivered presents to all the refugee kids who were help by the institute. We had the opportunity to learn about their culture by trying some of their traditional foods, and dancing to traditional music. There was a diversity of people from different parts of the world, most of them with very heartbreaking stories. All of them seem to have built a big family who supports each other, even when they were barely learning to communicate in the same language. That day, after I left the institute I felt as if a part of me was being left behind in this place, even though I barely knew this people or how the institute was helping them. It was a feeling like no other and I would just love to go more in depth to understand them. What they went through to get here? What have their experience in this country has been? Do they feel like they belong in this culture? How has the institute help them?
2.Crossroads RI. After reading “The mole people” I will never be able to look at a homeless people the same way. This place it’s close to my house and I always see these people wandering around. I would like to talk to some of the homeless that live there and understand what they go through every day? How do they ended up there? Etc.
I know you said pick 3 places, but I already explained to you why the international institute it’s important to me, and I really want to do my field work there.
He is an incredible speaker. I was really impressed by his incorporation of artwork and poetry in his explanation of "sense of place". He seemed to mainly focus on the cultural aspect; how culture is influenced by someone's sense of place. "This deep, natural sense of place, matched by the inexhaustible energy of the human imagination, created culture." I hadn't thought about my own sense of place piece as being something cultural; but, now I can look at it and see that there are several conditions that lead to my feelings towards the Magic Kingdom. One of his ending lines really struck me: "We need to help create the world in which we want to live." He is telling us that we can change our sense of place if we aren't satisfied with it. You have to be able to find where you are comfortable and make the decision to change your sense of place in hopes for a better one.
ReplyDeleteHope Elementary School~This was my elementary school (K-5) and my brother and sister went there too. I have volunteered there for several years for different after school programs and events. I love kids and I know a lot of the teachers at Hope. Some things I am curious about are: What happens when the kids go home? What are the intricacies involving the operation of a school? What goes into preparing for the average school day of: a teacher? a custodian? a principal? a cafeteria worker?
Hope Library~I am a member of my community public library, although I don't use it as often as I should. I volunteer at their bazaars as well as at their cheesesteak booth at the Scituate Art Festival. Some things I am curious about: How do you run a public building that is free for the public to use? Does the town pay librarians? Is it enough to support them? What makes someone want to work in such a quiet environment?
My garage during football season~This is probably my favorite place to hang out. The upstairs of my garage is fully furnished and has a giant movie projector. This is my dad's cave and it is where we watch all NFL football games. My dad, my brother, and I watch the game with my uncles and guy cousins and friends. My mom, my sister and all of the other girls hang out in the back of the room eating and chatting. Football is a very big deal at my house ad we host people almost every Sunday during football season. I was raised in this environment, so I have always been able to understand football. Some things I am curious about: Why do men and women watch separately? Is the fan base more gender neutral than most other sports? What makes it such a huge deal to some and not to others? What effect does this have culturally? What effect does culture have? I football is so big in the US, why don't other countries get as involved? Who started this tradition in my own family? What do men think of women who watch football? What drives people so crazy that they almost worship the game?
This was easily the greatest presentation I have ever seen. Everything he said was so true and I actually realized that I am not truly living my life. I can't name the trees around my house or even begin to describe everything around me. For the first time in my life I didn't zone out listening to someone give a speech. I liked how he said "the world looks different depending on where you see it from, and who you are with" and this is exactly what we have been talking about in class about looking at the world through someone else's eyes. Goia mentions that when the cities were being named, the Californians chose names that were from saints and it was because they had a real relationship with the area around them, and I feel that today people have lost that relationship with the world around them. When he mentioned Italy and the different places with different cultures it connected to my life because I have been dying to go to Italy to see the different buildings and to experience the different culture. He then continues by saying that by globalizing cities start to resemble each other and culture is lost, and I finally realized how true this really is. Culture will be lost and with culture lost our sense of place is lost, there is nothing to "feel" at that place anymore. The part that really struck me is the part at the end when he talks about being present in your own life. I go through life not paying attention to the details around me and I know that what I "will not grasp, will be lost". This presentation couldn't have been any more true, and it made me really think about the way I want to change my life so I can be there and experience everything.
ReplyDelete1. Coventry High School: My major is secondary education with a concentration in physics and what better place to see the world is my old high school. I would love to see how the high school runs from every perspective, from principal to student. This experience would give me the complete insight into the teaching life and truly help me realize if this is something I want to pursue. Coventry High School has been home for four years and its weird to think now that I only know the surface of what goes on there, I never actually knew the school as much as I thought I did. I think this would be a great place to get to know the ins and outs of the school and the people that truly make Coventry High School work.
2. The Warwick Mall: The Warwick Mall is one of the few places I go shopping (because I hate shopping), but I never seem to mind it when I am there. I would love to know why people go there, whether it is to go shopping or hang out with friends, and I would love to be able to talk to the workers and security. I never actually questioned anything about the mall and I feel like with this project I will get an opportunity to find out what really goes on inside the Warwick Mall.
3. Super Wal-Mart in Coventry: When I go into Wal-Mart I go straight for the snacks, but that is definitely not what everyone does. I would love to see why people go and wonder what they buy there and what they won't buy there. This is another place where it would be a great place to question the cashiers and even the small businesses inside like the salon. Whether it's the low prices or the wide variety of items, I want to know what makes the people flock there.
Dana Gioia really is an incredible speaker. What stood out to me the most was what he said toward the beginning of his speech. He said "it is often when you are being most local, most specially local, that you become most universal". I thought that was an amazing line. I think humans love knowing the small details of other people's lives. When you read about little towns and little details, you try to relate/compare it to your own surroundings any way you can think of. I also liked how he related the landscape of California and the names of towns to Californian culture.
ReplyDelete1. Sullivan's- This is a little take out food joint on Castle Island in south Boston. People from all over Massachusetts, not just Boston travel to "Sullies"(everyone calls it that) for a hotdog and a frappe. I'm very interested in the history of the place. For example, I know they only pay $1 a year for rent on the land. how did that happen? I also want to know why it is such a popular place.
2. Lambert's Rainbow Fruit- I don't even know what you would classify this place as, which is why I think it would be an interesting project. It's almost like a supermarket, but not. Maybe closer related to a farmers market. They have the best fruit, meat, and sandwiches around. They also seasonally sell flowers, pumpkins, and Christmas trees.
3. Spaulding Medical Center- My Aunt works there and I would love to know more about this amazing rehabilitation hospital. they just built a brand new building and took every little detail into consideration. They even put windows at a certain height so people in wheelchairs can see. I think it would be interesting to know all the little factors that go into running Spaulding.
When going in to watch this video I didn’t know what to expect. However, Dana Goia’s humorous opening line made me actually excited to watch this video. One of the first statements that he made that really stuck out to me was how the people who watch this online will never truly understand what it was like to be there and hear his spoken lecture. I never thought about how watching something online will never substitute actually seeing it in person. I think this is due to how today society is so connected to the Internet that people think watching something online is the same as being there. However, we will never know how the room smelled, what the seats felt like to sit in, what temperature the room was- all these details we will never know since we were not there in person. This really opened my eyes that I would never fully be able to understand the full impact of his lecture since I was not present in order to listen to it.
ReplyDeleteThe second point that he made that really stuck with me is naming of the cities. The cities in the west coast have a lot of names that have originated from Spain, and other languages. Many are named after saints, and some are even Spanish jokes. However, where I am from, Bristol is named after the town in England. Most of the cities and town names in the east coast are names that are borrowed from England, and other countries in Europe since Rhode Island is one of the thirteen original colonies.
Listening to this whole presentation by Dana Goia really made the gears in my head start to turn. I realized that I am looking through life with my eyes half closed. I am never fully appreciating the environment that I am living in, and I am never fully feeling the sense of place of where I am. Now after watching this video and reading mole people, I am starting to churn ideas in my head of possible places to do for my own field working project. I know that I will not do anything to adventurous or dangerous because I am not as brave as Toth, and I do not think I could handle what she did. However, what are really close to my heart are music, the performing arts, and my hometown. This makes me think of three possible ideas I could do for my field-working project.
1. I could go back to my hometown and look at the historic background of it. I can interview the people who live there and see what they think of how the town has grown and become in todays society vs. what it used to be like when they were growing up.
2. I could go back to my old high school theatre and interview all of my former classmates, along with people who have graduated and were involved in the performing arts. I could also research the different uses of the theatre, and how people in the community view the work done by the students. I could interview all the graduating seniors and see what they plan to do with heir lives and if theatre is part of their future. I could also see how the graduates did when they went out and tried to achieve their goal of being an actor/actress.
3. I could do my field-working project on PPAC. I could interview the backstage people and see how they enjoy working at people. I could interview the employs that work in the longue, and I could also interview the people attending shows. Seeing how long they have gone to PPAC and how close theatre is to their hearts.
I really enjoyed this video! Perhaps what stuck with me the most out of the video was Goia's explanation of globalization and the world that is fading away because of it. He explained a time when knowing the world around you was critical to survival. In contrast, he showed how similar cities all across the country (even the world) have become. I was honestly surprised to hear just how identical so many places, though all once VERY unique, had become. I found this disappointing. Culture is such an important part of individuality; It's disheartening to imagine that one of the very things that make us different from each other is, as we go about our daily lives, fading away.
ReplyDelete1) My first idea for my fieldwork location is Woonsocket High School. Having graduated from there, I have a connection with it. I spent four years there and experienced a lot of different things; I still feel, however, as if I know very little about its culture and the people there as a whole. Additionally, though I am currently declared as a secondary education major, I'm still not entirely sure if it's right for me. Doing research on a high school will not only provide me with opportunities to examine the relationships of teachers, students, and administrators working alongside one another, but also with the opportunity to see what it's like to be a high school teacher, and perhaps, if this is the right career path for me.
2) Another place I would consider doing my fieldwork is Main Street in Woonsocket. Considered by many to be long past its heyday, Main Street has hosted a variety of shops that come in and out every year or two. Though it often has at least a few vacant spaces, it has an undoubtedly unique culture. A field study of this street would offer plenty of chances to examine the memory of the street's heyday, the culture of today, and the possibility of a bright future for this area.
3) Finally, I would consider the Fr. Marot CYO Center. This organization, largely dedicated to supporting youth, offers a fun, faith-filled retreat from daily life for kids, teens and adults alike. It holds a special place in my heart and has made a big impact on my life and the lives of many of my friends. I would love to see what the center is like from the points of view of other people who go there and who work there. It has been around since the sixties or seventies, and its' culture has been ever-evolving since.
I'll admit, I was less than excited to watch this video in the beginning, but once it got going I found that it was actually pretty interesting. One thing that I really found interesting from this video was how someone native to a place would find beauty in things that a foreigner might find unbearable, like in the example of the California hills in summer. Something else that struck me was what he said about the origins of the names of places, like how many places in California are named for saints and angels. It made me wonder what places in my community are named for, and how much I really don't know about the world around me. People these days don't spend nearly enough time enjoying the natural beauty around them because they are too busy staring at screens and sitting indoors. As far as ideas for my fieldworking project go, I have been thinking over a few different things. The first idea I had was to learn more about the history of my church, Evangelical Covenant Church. I am technically a member, but when I was thinking about it, I really don't know very much about its history or even the people that make up its community. Another place I thought about was Johnny's diner, a family owned restaurant up the street from my house. I think it would be really interesting to learn about, especially because it is a restaurant that isn't a part of a chain, but is family owned and tries to help out the community, for example they donate a dollar to the animal shelter for every hot dog they sell. The third place I thought of is Madonna Manor, a retirement home in my town. I figured that there would be a lot of people with interesting stories to tell at a place like that, and it would be a place that I feel would have a history worth uncovering.
ReplyDeleteI came into this expecting to be bored for 16 minutes, but I was actually surprised how absorbing this video is, mostly just due to how fluid and smooth this person's voice is. It's actually relaxing and almost mesmerizing to listen to, but doesn't put me into a sort of comatose state where his words just flow through my ears and never get absorbed, it really sticks as he talks, mostly because he really knows what he's talking about and lets it show. It also really got me thinking about what places I wanted to actively observe for our field working, and I want to do something I'm not already comfortable with so that I can learn more. The thing that stuck with me most is when he expanded about what you said in our class about not knowing the trees around us. Since I decided to do some research this weekend to learn if what I thought was correct or not, and not to my surprise, I wasn't.
ReplyDeleteFirst, before and after listening to this, I was thinking about doing Kennedy Plaza, the bus station. Since, starting with college, I've been having to take buses sometimes to make it, and this is the first time since I was really young that I was taking buses. Also the plaza has a huge variety of different people, ranging from business men in suits because of it's location, to less fortunate people for the cheap transportation.
Second, I was thinking about doing the college campus, even though that may be a little uncreative and this idea was scrapped after listening to this. I thought of it because it was a new place to me with it's own culture basically.
Lastily, I'm playing with the idea of doing the Providence Place Mall, since it is also a good place to find people with different motivations and plans.
What struck me most about this video was how much I do not know about myself and where I come from. For I like to think that where I come from and my set origins made me who I am to day, but now I'm left wondering if it all impacted me the way I thought it did or was it just the people whom are and were around me? Dana Goia stated at the beginning of this video that the way one sees the world depends on who they're with and how they feel. I then began to realize that this is true, because you feel a certain way depending on where you are. For if someone who lived in the big city went to a country area they may feel nervous because it is different from what they are use to and they may feel uncomfortable and that will effect the way one sees the new world they have just entered.
ReplyDelete1) St Basil's Church- this is where I basically grew up, I was baptized there, and had my first communion and went to Sunday school, what is so interesting about this church is that it is an Arabic church, and most people there speak English and Arabic. But what is more interesting is how reserved it is, for some unknown reason to me the church as a whole seems to discourage any new comers to the Parrish, which I think contradicts the common thought of what a church does
2) St Rose and Clements Choir- this is the choir I recently just joined. This choir is completely different from any choir I have ever been in, for the people in it seem to not respect their conductor which is a completely strange concept to me, but they are very welcoming unlike my other church which is another strange topic.
3) My Sito's house- My Sito is my grandmother and every Saturday since the beginning of my life my family and I have all gathered at her house. Every Saturday we go over and eat ALOT of Syrian food and talk about every thing, but one thing my Sito basically refuses to talk about is my grandfather. My grandfather died when my mom was only two and her younger sister was not even a year old. None of us know how or why he died, all we were told was that he never wanted my mom and my aunt to know, but why? What if it was some disease that we'll never know about? But what is also interesting is how little we all know about his life. For only a year ago we all discovered that he had an arranged marriage in Syria, in fact he had a child over there and apparently the child did not survive and the marriage ended. But why did the marriage end? Why did he even decided to come to America? Some of these things I may never know, but one day it would be nice to actually dig into what really happened.
I enjoyed the video. At first it was just like any other video but when he started describing California and its culture it became interesting. My favorite part has to the poem Apple Orchard, " To learn that what we will not grasp is lost." Its sad to say that people don't know about their surroundings and if we fail to educate ourselves about it, eventually it fades from our memory. People who don't know about their surroundings don't know themselves. As a child and now, I found nature interesting. I can name the animals outside my house and some vegetation. I usually pay attention to a location and its details
ReplyDelete1. Central Falls High School. I was born and raised in this square mile city. I have great memories and wonderful teacher that wouldn't teach anywhere else but here. Six years ago people in Kent County ever even heard of us and now due to the media, teacher firings, horrible test scores, and the "restoration program" everyone knows about CF. They tainted the image of my home.
2. Slater Park. It's like a second home to me. My grandmother would bring us to the seasonally events they hosted every year. I have fond memories growing up with my siblings and cousins at this park. Now it is a hangout spot for my friends and I was we stroll around in the darkness.
3. Emerald Square Mall. My dad use to take my siblings and I there for lunch, to see friends and to grab a few toys. I asked him why he liked this mall better then Prov. Place Mall. His response, "When I'm here I feel at home."
What stuck out about this video the most for me was about how the languages of a place also contribute to the sense of place. I've never really thought about it, but different places have different lingo. Most of my family is from New England and I'm not really exposed to how other areas of the United States communicate and talk. I went on a trip with my cousin and my grandfather last year to visit some family in Ireland. Culturally, there are many things that are different. I remember my cousin and I were out with our family and we called something "cool" and my family from Ireland just kind of laughed at us. I didn't know that they don't normally call things cool in Ireland and that to me is weird. But it's only because their language-culture doesn't use that word very often in that context.
ReplyDeleteI also tried to name off some trees and animals that were outside of my house and all I could come up with was rabbits and grass. I never paid any attention to what kind of plants and trees that were growing in my yard.
1) Bliss Brothers Dairy: This is a small family owned restaurant and dairy that originally started in my hometown of Attleboro and now they are a very large ice cream company. I wonder what it took to create such an ice cream empire and how they got so popular. Everyone goes to Bliss, there's never a time that I've walked in and not recognized someone from town or school.
2) Poncin-Hewitt Fields: This is a park right down the street from me. The fields have always been around my whole life but I know that the fields were named after firefighters who died. I wonder what happened? And who these great men were?
3) Jaswell's Farm : This is an apple orchard my family would go to every year. I love apple picking, it's one of my favorite things to do in the fall. Recently my family stopped going apple picking and I miss it.
After listening to this presentation I think I really have a feel for what a sense of place really is. It isn't just someplace you go a lot, it is someplace that means something to you for whatever reason. With that new understanding there are only two places I can think of that fit that description, Zip's Diner and Spofford Lake.
ReplyDeleteZip's is a cute diner in Dayville, CT that serves breakfast all day and has the best fries in the world. I go there when I've had a bad day, is a comfortable place and their food is my comfort food.
Spofford is my second home. I live there for the better part of the summer and spend a lot of time with my friends and family. It is a very fun place and holds a lot of memories for me.